Going Natural [09.04.18]
A new article sheds light on the ongoing replacement of artificial and animal-based dyes with alternative natural pigments in foods and beverages. In brief, the presented perspective aimed at providing a concise overview on academic and industrial developments in the field of food coloration. Because the demand by customers for natural food ingredients is expected to increase further, the use of natural pigments will clearly follow this major trend. The article presents an overview on advantages and disadvantages of using natural pigments and artificial colorants. Although natural pigments do often not reach the same maximum color brilliance as reached with artificial azo-dyes or carmine, the general trend toward 'more natural' and organically produced foods might also change consumer expectations with regard to the color of the foods. For instance, turbid juices and slightly turbid beverages with less vivid colors are becoming more and more popular. The increasing use of most of the natural pigments will require food and beverage producers to invest substantially more efforts into their color-related product development in the future. If properly developed, alternatives to artificial dyes and carmine are broadly available for almost all color shades, and thus, there is no doubt that the future of foods and beverages will be bright and colorful (Schweiggert et al, 2018)
Photo: Pixabay
Original Article:
Schweiggert, Ralf M. (2018): Perspective on the Ongoing Replacement of Artificial and Animal-Based Dyes with Alternative Natural Pigments in Foods and Beverages. In: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 66 (12), S. 3074–3081. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.7b05930.
